Package and method of making the same



Feb. 24, 1942. F. D. PALMER 2,274,344

PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1942. F. D. PALMER PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 24, 1942. PALMER 2,274,344

PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Patented Feb. 24, 1942 Frank D. Palmer, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Kraft Cheese Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 6, 1939, Serial No. 249,565

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in packaging and the method of making an improved package construction, and it has particular reference to packaging for deteriorable products such as cheese and other foodstuffs, and

materials which are desirably enclosed in a hermetically sealed wrapper.

The main objects of the invention are toprovide a package wrapping which may be quickly and easilymade and accurately formed by automatic machinery and which wrapping will constitute an adequate, hermetically sealed container for the goods to be packaged so as to be capable of effectively preserving the same; to provide a package wrapping which will be attractive in appearance and sufficiently low in cost as to be commercially practicable for products which are sold in a highly competitive market; to provide an improved method of packaging material which will facilitate the formation and sealing of the wrapper so as to permit the'construction in a commercially practicable manner of an effective, hermetically sealed container; and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood -by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (three sheets) wherein there is illustrated a packaging embodying a selected form of the invention as adapted to packaging cheese, together with the method employed in forming the package.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a blank from which the hermetically sealed wrapper is formed; and

Figures 2 to 9, inclusive, illustrate successive steps in the formation of the improved package.

Referring now to the drawings, the wrapper blank shown in Figure 1 may consist of any selected sheet material suitable for the wrapping of the particular material to be wrapped. In the case of foodstuffs such as cheese which contain a substantial amount of moisture, the wrapper should be of a suitable moisture-proof material. In the illustrated instance of a cheese package, the wrapper is formed of a sheet material blank comprising a. transparent sheet III of material such as Pliofllm, Cellophane, or any other similar material, the sheet being ,coated on one side with a coating II of moisture-proof material which in this instance may be a wax and rubber composition. The specific wax and rubber composition forms no part of the present invention and therefore is not herein set forth. It is sufllcient to state that transparent sheet'material coated with a moisture-proof wax-rubber composition is commercially available on the market.

The blank is cut to suitable size for the size and shape of the package to be formed and its comers are cut off diagonally as indicated at I2.

In the formation of the package, the coated, flexible blank is first formed into a U-shaped,

trough-like structure as shown in Figure 2, the moisture-proof coating II being on the inside. Such folding of the blank may be effected on a mandrel of suitable dimensions.

The next step is to form the trough-like structure into a receptacle having an open top and this is done by bending or folding inwardly the respective end portions of the upwardly extending side walls of the U-shaped structure. As indicated in Figure 3, the end portions are bent inwardly toward each other so as to form end walls comprising two portions designated l3, which extend inwardly toward each other from the oppositely disposed walls of the trough-like structure.

Inner marginal areas of said in-turning end wall portions I3 are folded so as to extend outwardly from said end walls and so as to cause the coated faces of said marginal areas to contact each other in face-to-face relation. Such marginal areas are indicated at I4. During the operation of forming the end walls, end portions of the bottom wall of the trough-like structureare turned downwardly and folded upon themselves along diagonal lines, so that triangular ear-like portions I5 depend from the lower ends of each of the end walls I3.

Heat or pressure or both may then be applied to the contacting marginal areas I4, so as to fuse the contacting coatings thereby to form a strong and impervious joint between the respective end wall forming portions I3, I3.

The receptacle formed as explained is a onepiece structure having seams in its opposite ends. When a wax-rubber composition coated sheet is employed, the joints or seams formed in the ends are dependably tight and their formation involves no critical adjustments of heat or pressure. The joint need not be made over the entire surface of the marginal areas I4, and preferably is made in only a relatively narrow strip closely adjacent the end walls I3, I3. A joint embodying a united strip of only one-eighth inch or even less has been found to be of adequate strength and impermeable for practical purposes. By making the joint in only a relatively narrow area instead of over the entire surface of the marginal areas, less heat will be required and more certain results obtained. with consequent advantages.

After the end walls have been formed and seamed as described, the laterally outwardly extending marginal areas I4 are next folded into flatwise position on the respective end walls as 1y as an incident to the insertion of the receptacle into an outer or protective container to the position illustrated in Figure 5. The container designated C, in its entirety is shown in Figure as being fitted into a suitable wooden protective box B, and it will be apparent that the folded marginal areas I4 and the folded triangular portions l5 will be held in their folded positions by the surrounding box B. The normal stiffness of the sheet material of which the wrapper or receptacle C is formed is sufficient to hold the end walls of the receptacle in place notwithstanding any inherent resiliency in the material and consequent tendency of the folded portions I4 and to unfold.

After the receptacle is positioned in the box B, molten cheese or any other desired material may be poured into the receptacle. The pressure of the content on the sides of the receptacle will serve to press the walls of the receptacle against the stiffer walls of the wooden container, so that after the package content becomes set or hardened, the receptacle C, if withdrawn from the box B, would reveal a smooth, square-walled, rectangular formation corresponding quite faithfully to the interior of the box B.

After the receptacle C has received its charge of material, the upper marginal areas l6, N5 of the side walls of the receptacle are folded inwardly toward each other over the top of the receptacle content which should preferably be about even or level with the top edges of the box B. As indicated in Figure 6, the said marginal areas "5 are of such a width that inner marginal portions indicated at I! of said areas l6 may be bent laterally outwardly so as to engage each other in face-to-face relation, the coated surfaces being again in engagement with each other. Also, as indicated in Figure 6, the upper portions of the end walls l3, l3 are folded upon themselves along diagonal lines as an incident of the inward folding of said side portions H5, Hi thereby forming substantially triangular ear-like top end pieces l8, I8.

The contacting marginal portions H are next joined by the application of heat or pressure or both to suitable strips of said portion H, or to the entire area thereof. Such joining of the top forming portion 16, I6 produces an effective moisture-proof or impervious joint.

As shown in Figure 6, the triangular end portions l8, 18 are equipped with small openings such as shown at l9 which result from the presence of the diagonally cut corners l2 of the blank from which the receptacle is formed. Such openings constitute access openings through which suitable mechanical devices may be engaged with the interior of the wrapper to control the diagonal folding of said top end portions which occurs as an incident to the inward folding of the top sections I6, [6. Said openings I9 also constitute vents through which air may escape from within the wrapper as fast as said air is pressed out incident to the forming of the top closure l6, IS.

The upstanding marginal area I1 is next folded to flatwise position on the top of the receptacle and the end portions I8, l8 are then subjected to a further sealing operation to stop the passage of air into or out of the receptacle through said openings l9. Such further sealing operation may be effected while the triangular portion l8, ll remain in the endwise extending position shown in Figure 6, but I prefer for mechanical convenience to effect said further sealing operation on the end ears after the latter have been turned to an upwardly extending position as shown in Figure '7. When in the position there illustrated, suitable sealing devices may be applied to the ears closely adjacent the top of the package to join the inside or coated surfaces of the triangular ears in relatively narrow areas as indicated at 20. Said areas may be either flat or somewhat corrugated as indicated.

After the ears are sealed in the indicated transversely extending zones, they are folded inwardly into fiatwise position on the top of the package as shown in Figure 8, and a wooden or other suitable cover applied to the open side of the box B to complete the outer or protective box.

For removing the package content, especially if it be a thermo-plastic product such as cheese, the last applied wooden side of the box may be removed, whereupon the opened box may be inverted so as to permit the impervious wrapped package contained within the box to rest directly on a counter or table, whereupon the box may be lifted from the sealed package. It will be apparent that in so opening the package the folded cars 20 will then be on the bottom and hence not visible to the customer. Instead, the side and top walls present a smooth-surfaced package of unusually attractive appearance. A package when constructed in the manner explained with a shiny-surfaced Pliofilm sheet coated with the indicated moisture-proofing composition presents a very attractive appearance which offers considerable sales assistance to the merchant. Also, such wrapping material may be imprinted with any suitable indicia, design or trade-marks, and such printed material may be applied to the inside surface of the wrapper before the moisture-proofing coating is applied. The moisture-proof coating serves to keep the printed indicia out of contact with the packaged material which is especially desirable in the case of foodstuffs, and the glossy outer surface of the package is not impaired by the presence of the printed matter.

If desired, the wrapped package may be removed from the box B by employing the inturned ears l8 as lifting tabs by which to grasp the wrapped package to lift it from within the container.

It will be observed that in the described packaging arrangement, the impervious wrapper is first formed into an open-sided receptacle and then inserted into a protective box, after which the receptacle is filled. This method is advantageous in that it facilitates the formation of effective external joints with a resulting smooth interior, which is of exceptional value where the material to be packaged is of a thermo-plastic nature and which molds itself to the shape of the receptacle and enters every possible crevice or offset. By the elmination of irregularities on the inside of the receptacle, free removability of the wrapper is attained.

For practical purposes the Package material, when sold in small portions of the package loaf, may be severed from the package quantity simply by cutting across the package at the desired distance from the end thereof to obtain the desired amount of the packaged material. The portion of the wrapper enclosing the cut off portion of the material may remain thereon to offer some degree of protection for the goods even in the hands of the purchaser of the smaller quantity. If the material is to be sliced as is often the case when selling cheese, the desired portion of the wrapper may be first removed from the package to permit the slicing from the end of the whole or remaining portion of the loaf, this being somewhat easier than to slice from a small portion cut from the loaf.

In the foregoing explanation the reference to a wax and rubber composition is made merely for purposes of explanation and without intending to require that such material be employed. Other suitable coatings, for example, wax alone, may be employed, the character of the material used depending somewhat on the kind of material to be packaged.

Other changes may be made in the described packaging without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. A deteriorable material package comprising a flexible sheet folded to form a rectangular receptacle embodying bottom and side walls and a closure wall formed of upper portions of one pair of side walls folded inwardly toward each other and having marginal areas folded outwardly, disposed in face-to-face relation and united, said united marginal areas being folded to flatwise position on the closure wall, corresponding upper portions of the other pair of side walls being diagonally folded upon themselves as an incident to the aforesaid formation of the closure wall, and adjacent folds of said diagonally folded portions being united in zones extending across the entire width of said folded portions in said zones.

2. A deteriorable material package comprising a flexible sheet folded to form a rectangular receptacle embodying bottom and side walls and a closure wall formed of upper portions of one pair of side walls folded inwardly toward each other and aving marginal areas folded outwardly disposed in face-to-face relation and united, said united marginal areas being folded to flatwise position on the closure wall, corresponding upper portions of the other pair of side walls being notched and, as an incident to the aforesaid formation of the closure wall, folded diagonally uponupon themselves, said notch serving to provide an access opening to permit the application to the interior of the wrapper and withdrawal therefrom, of mechanical devices for controlling said diagonal folding, and adjacent folds of said diagonally folded portions being united in zones disposed inwardly of said openings and extending transversely across the entire width of said folded portions in said zones. 7

3. A deteriorable material package comprising a flexible sheet folded to form a rectangular receptacle embodying bottom and side walls, one pair of side walls being formed by portions of said sheet folded so as to extend toward each other from the other pair of side walls and said portions having inner marginalareas bent outwardly and united in face-to-face relation, the united areas being folded as a unit to flatwise position on the respective walls, and a closure well formed of upper portions of said other pair of side walls folded inwardly-toward-each other and having marginal areas folded outwardly. disposed in face-to-face relation and united, said united marginal areas being folded to flatwise position on the closure wall. corresponding upper portions of the said first mentioned pairof side walls being .each,other from the other pair of side walls and said portions having inner marginal areas bent outwardly and united in face-to-face relation, the united areas being folded as a unit to flatwise position on the respective walls, and a closure wall formed of upper portions of said other pair .of side walls folded inwardly" toward each other and having marginal areas folded outwardly, disposed in face-to-face relation and united, said united marginal areas being folded to flatwise posltion on the closure wall, corresponding upper portions of said first mentioned pair of side walls being diagonally folded upon themselves as an incident to the aforesaid formation of the closure wall, and said diagonally cut corners serving to provide access openings to permit the application to the interior of the wrapper and withdrawal therefrom, of mechanical devices for controlling said diagonal folding, and adjacent folds of said diagonally folded portions being united in zones disposed inwardly of said access openings and extending across the entire width of said folded portions in said zones.

5. A deteriorable material package comprising a flexible sheet folded to form a rectangular receptacle embodying bottom and side walls and a closure wall formed of upper portions of one pair of side walls folded inwardly toward each other and united, corresponding upper portions of the other pair of side walls being folded upon themselves to form double ply, triangular ears extending from the upper edges of said other pair of side walls, and the plys of said ears be n united in zones extending across the entire width thereof.

6. A deteriorable material package comprising a flexible sheet folded to form a rectangular receptacle embodying bottom and side walls and a closure wall formed of upper portions of one pair of side walls folded inwardly toward each other and having marginal areas folded outwardly, disposed in face-to-face relation and united, said united marginal areas being folded to flatwise position on the closure wall, corresponding upper portions of the other pair of side walls being provided with a V-shaped notch so located that when said marginal portions are united, the apex of the notch will substantially coincide with the plane of the united faces of said marginal portions. said corresponding upper portions being folded diagonally upon themselves on opposite sides of said notch, said notch serving to provide an access opening to permit the application to the interior of the wrapper and withdrawal therefrom, of mechanical devices for controlling said diagonal folding, and adjacent folds of said diagonally folded portions being united in zones disposed inwardly of said openings and extending transversely across the entire width of said folded portions in said zones.

- FRANK D. PALMEE. 

